Stand the Hazard 5: Protected
by KeelieThompson1
Summary: The Skywalker clan will always protect each other. And, the wake of what happened in Zygarria, that has never been more true.
1. Chapter 1

**Protected**

The Skywalker clan will always protect each other. And, the wake of what happened in Zygarria, that has never been more true.

A/N: So this is a rewrite of the earlier story. Rather than time jump, I thought i'd rather continue straight on!

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There was something terribly strange about seeing Ahsoka in the little home they had in Jedha. Years ago, when Ahsoka had visited, Padme had hosted her in some of the most beautiful places the galaxy had to offer. Sweeping views of the city, grand rooms with high ceilings and tasteful furnishings. In those days, Padme had been dressed in the most beautiful garments, had felt elegant and in control.

Those days were long gone.

Luke and Leia were curled up in the darkened room at the back, brother and sister silent all the way back to the planet. Her son's hair was streaked with the fading dye and his cheekbones far too prominent for her liking. Kanan had taken Leia's room and Padme had shifted in frustration at the few things she could offer to make him more comfortable.

The main room where Padme stood was plain. Padme had wrestled with the bare walls, not used to the endless stone that was never broken by a window or art. She'd thought longingly of the plants on Naboo more times than she would like to admit.

It was stupid, she sighed, to even think about it all. Anakin was… the idea made her look away in frustration. And Ahsoka…

Sighing, Padme headed to the doorway, opening the door and closing it behind her quickly to keep the heat in. Ahsoka stood, wrapped up in the long cloak that reminded Padme so much of the old jedi robes. In the gathering darkness, Ahsoka was becoming a silhouette staring up at the sky.

Quietly, Padme made her way to the woman and held out the steaming mug of tea. Ahsoka didn't seem surprised to see her, it was rare to surprise any force sensitive, and accepted the drink silently.

The stars were starting to flare in the sky and Padme looked up, eyes darting across the sky as if Anakin's presence might suddenly reveal itself to her, as if that was the biggest problem they faced, she thought with a sigh.

"Kanan is asleep," Ahsoka said quietly. "I wasn't sure if he would settle."

"He was tired." Padme hesitated briefly, "And I think relieved to have his own space."

Ahsoka smiled, just a little and nodded. Then she looked across at Padme and turned a little, sitting on one of the lower walls and staring down at the cityscape, her expression beckoning Padme over.

"It's…" Ahsoka frowned as she glanced back up. "I thought that once the cuffs were off everything would go back to normal but…" she swallowed. "It's so quiet." Her eyes scanned the sky above.

They'd talked about the purge. Briefly. And perhaps, at the time, Padme hadn't truly appreciated what that might have meant for the important people in her life.

"What's it like?" she heard herself ask quietly.

For a moment the silence yawned on and she waited, curious to see how Ahsoka would react. But, eventually, Ahsoka drew in a long breath. "It's…" her big eyes scanned the night sky, "Imagine a room filled with a comm signal. Dim and quiet, but a constant buzz. Enough that you know the radios on. Sometimes static might be louder and draw your attention, other times a voice might suddenly ring out. That used to be the universe." She quirked an unhappy smile as her gaze fell back down to Padme. "Now…I can feel Kanan. And the hole that is Luke. But they're close. Otherwise…" she looked back up. "Otherwise it's like a dead comm line. You don't know what you might be missing."

Padme watched her and then looked out across the city walls and at the stretch of desert that lay beyond. "They are out there. Somewhere. I know people who got some Jedi out of Couruscant. I know others that have offered shelter since." She winced a little. "The Jedi Order and I didn't leave things on good terms but…" She hesitated for a moment and then realised what she had to say wasn't exactly hers to offer. "I could ask around. Give you some leads."

Ahsoka was silent. Then slowly shook her head. "I am not…" she swallowed. "Not quite who I used to be. What they did to us…what I did…peace and serenity is the last thing I feel at the moment."

Ah.

"You fought?"

"I slaughtered," Ahsoka corrected, still staring ahead. "And not for any cause greater than to bide my time to escape." She shifted and then looked at Padme. "When Anakin and I first woke up there it was…difficult. We were weak, without the force, blind, helpless. To recover from a carbon freeze that long and not have the force…our memory was hazy too. Not the big things, but the most recent things. Even when we remembered…" she clenched her jaw. "We went off to a difficult but typical mission in a war and woke as slaves to a foreign empire where we were told our friends were dead and the republic we'd fought for was dead. Anakin…we didn't ask about you. He didn't want them to know exactly who we were in case they bartered us or held on tighter. But she knew. The Queen. I'm certain of it."

"Anakin…he talked briefly…he said that he killed her." There was a question in her voice that she couldn't quite manage to articulate.

But it seemed Ahsoka heard it nonetheless. "She was obsessed with him. The entire palace knew it. I don't…she wanted him willing. I don't know if her patience would have run out. But…I know she had him as her guard. Used me to ensure he was more willing than he would have otherwise been. That she indulged in whatever she wished and he would have watched."

Padme tightened her grip on her mug and took another sip, not sure what to do with the churning anger that swirled uselessly within her. The woman was dead and gone and, if they were honest, Vader was a bigger and more immediate problem but…

But Anakin had always been so…sweet. And she knew he saw their love-making as exactly that. Something precious and wonderous and theirs. She wasn't a fool, he'd grown up as a slave on Tatooine and he'd liberated planets faced with terrible rulers and extreme poverty, but he'd also never dealt with the consequences of such careless and callous attitudes. Never been forced to watch or witness such atrocities as an adult that would understand the outcome and emotional destruction of sexual slavery.

Certainly, he had never been in that position himself. The Jedi were seen in the same way as many holy beings across the universe: sexless and without desire.

"And you?" Padme asked.

Ahsoka's fingers tapped the cup. "I was a warrior for their entertainment," she said shortly. "And they brought in beings to be ours should we choose." She shook her head. "I did not but I could hear…" She trailed off and shook her head. "And the worst thing of it, was that the Zygarrian Empire didn't just rise up in the months we were frozen. It was there during the wars. Before even. And the republic and the Jedi…all that suffering and we did nothing. Barely even mentioned it. When I first arrived, the guards…they mocked me. Threw me in and announced me as a Jedi and all I heard for days were questions. Was I the first wave? Were more coming? Did the universe know?" Ahsoka swallowed tightly. "And I had to say no."

"We were blinded," Padme whispered, offering up what she could. "We only paid attention to what was directly in front of us rather than what was happening at the edges." She looked down into her almost empty cup and, for a moment, all she could think about was her own experience in the senate after Naboo had suffered the blockade. How helpless and let down she had felt, how she had been made to feel small and foolish for thinking her planet was facing a problem.

How she had offered the vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum.

"You should sleep," Padme offered, trying to shake the thought away, for now. "Or at least rest," she said when Ahsoka made no reply.

"I think I'll stay out here," Ahsoka replied quietly. "It's…calm. Peaceful." She smiled a little as her gaze ran across the city walls and the expanse beyond. "Free."

"I can get you a blanket?"

"I know where they are," Ahsoka said, shifting to look at her. "Padme…you have two children to look after tomorrow. Let me…let me just enjoy this. You don't need to worry."

It wasn't exactly in Padme's nature to accept such things, but she nodded and bid Ahsoka good night before ensuring that the spare blanket was obvious in the main room.

And then she made her way to her children and curled up around them.

Xxx

Morning, Padme remembered her mother saying, always made the troubles of the night before seem smaller, easier.

Her mother, Padme reflected, had clearly said that before any Skywalker children had graced the universe.

Leia, now awake and, Padme suspected, now that Luke wasn't shielding her quite so completely, had decided to be fascinated by their guests. If she wasn't following Kanan around, she was staring at Ahsoka and then asking 'why' to everything that was said.

"Leia, don't follow Kanan to the fresher."

"Leia, Ahsoka wants to eat, don't try to sit on her lap."

"Leia, Ahsoka wants to eat that; it isn't your food."

Luke on the other hand was silent and had a frown on his face, eating mechanically and looking like he was on another planet until Ahsoka glanced at him and told him not to reach out that far.

"What?" Padme asked, glancing between them.

"He's trying to reach Anakin," Ahsoka said, staring at the boy. "He has an impressive range."

"We've talked about this," Padme found herself snapping at her son. "You need to stay hidden."

Luke glared at both of them and then, apparently stopped reaching out to Anakin according to Ahsoka, but Padme wasn't entirely convinced that her stubborn son hadn't just found a way to quieten his search to Ahsoka.

A theory that was confirmed when, just before the weak sun sat high in the sky, Leia let out a long-suffering huff and then toddled over to her brother and reached for his hand.

Whatever they did made Ahsoka drop her plate and bend over while Kanan screeched out a noise and clapped his hands over his ears. Even Padme could feel a wave of something.

"Luke," she snapped.

The pair broke their hold and Leia pouted. "Told off," she said, sounding annoyed by it. "Daddy," she added with a slight plea as she toddled over to Padme and buried her head in the leg of Padme's pants. Sighing, Padme reached down to lift her daughter to her hip and stared at her son who stared at the wall for about three seconds and then stormed out.

"What did they do?" she asked the other two in the room.

"They are strong," Kanan whispered, eyes wide as he stared at Ahsoka. "How did they even-"

"Across half a galaxy," Ahsoka said, "those two…" she shook her head. "It was like… a clumsy hand reaching out and knocking aside everything to find what it wanted." She glanced at Leia and then, with a look of permission at Padme, lifted the little girl into her own arms.

For a moment, Leia shifted and wriggled and then made eye contact with Ahsoka. And there was some silent conversation that Padme could never be part of and she turned, clearing up the lunch plates and trying not to be jealous.

Instead, once the plates were collected, she went outside to track down her errant son. Luke hadn't gone far. He was in the shade of the wall that ran close to their home and he was tightly sat in a ball, arms around his legs and chin on his knees.

Sighing, she sat next to him.

"I know," he said quietly to his knees. "I know I'm not meant to reach out to him."

"You miss him," Padme said gently. "I'd be tempted if I could do the same."

Luke nodded and rubbed his chin on his left knee. "I miss them both," he whispered, as if it were some horrible secret. "I…Vader he used to talk to me. And…he scares me but…" he shrugged, seeming desperately confused by the idea. "And I want Dad," he added, his voice breaking and wobbling.

Shushing him gently, she pulled Luke close and he turned, instantly snuggling in like he had when he was seven years old and tiny. And he was still so little, she thought, pulling him in even tighter. She forgot it sometimes because there was a gap between him and Leia and the little girl was her baby, but eleven was still was so very young.

The tears turned into full sobbing and she sat rocking him, her heart breaking for her little boy because it was so much to ask. To not reach out to the person that he missed and that he wanted to come home. Especially when all that they should be doing now, as a family, was staying together. Comforting each other. Drawing strength from each other.

She should be with her husband, helping him through all that had happened. They should both be there for Luke, letting him know that all was safe and the only thing he had to worry about was getting better and moving on from that terrible time with the slavers. They should both be there to raise their daughter, to ensure that Leia never questioned the strength of their family unit.

It wasn't fair.

"It won't be forever," she whispered.

"You don't know that," Luke replied, voice muffled by her shirt.

"I know your father," Padme replied. "Vader or Anakin Skywalker, he won't leave you alone. He will come back for you. Always."

And there. She almost felt it as she poked that old wound of her son, the terrified child that was left in ships and bases and waited to see who would come for him. He sucked in a breath and clutched her even tighter.

"And you have me," she whispered, feeling fierce suddenly. "I swear to you. You have me."

He nodded and she felt a little relieved as his easy acceptance of that, that she would be his rock and foundations. His roots. It might not make what was happening with Anakin and Vader any easier, but he knew he had someone.

"And you have me," Luke whispered back. "No-one will hurt you. I won't let them. I don't care who it is. They won't hurt you."

She smiled, easing her grip a little. "I know." And her mind drifted to that terrible revelation, the one that Vader had made and the one that she couldn't quite get out of her head. How he had choked her when she was pregnant, when their babies were so vulnerable and tiny and he had risked them all and she had betrayed him and-

"But that one isn't your battle, sweetheart," she whispered. "Vader won't hurt me. Not again."

Luke stared at her. "He told you?"

She nodded.

He worked his jaw a little. "I saw…" For a terrible moment she thought he'd say that he'd seen the memory, "I saw your apartment. The one you used to have. You…the other you had bought a baby toy." His eyes filled a bit. "I think that you would have been the same person," he said, sounding so very lost. "How is he so…"

"Because he didn't have us," Padme said, lifting his chin. "Not like this. Your father and I…we were so caught up being the heroes of the war. Of fighting for what we thought was right. Darling, our marriage before you was…a…a romance. Exciting. And we loved each other very much but we weren't a partnership. You can't be when you have to hide like that and are away from each other so often. And you…by the time you were born…I think it was too late. But here, this time? Your father and I…even with this gap and all this time, we are a unit. We know how to do this. And you…" She stroked her thumb over his cheek. "You were his universe. He would rather cut of his arm than hurt you in any way. And now Leia…" she hesitated and didn't add what that meant to both of them. To have their daughter safe and with them rather than the fate that would have stolen her forever. There were some things she didn't need to discuss right now. "We save him, Luke. And we stopped him from becoming Vader, so we can do it again."

"Can't if he's half a universe away," Luke muttered sulkily, but without tears now.

"Let him adjust, sweetheart. Let him sleep. Let them both adjust. And then we'll figure out a way."

Luke sighed and nodded and he was tired, she thought. But he was her son so he nodded and stood and then stopped to have the last word.

"But he won't hurt you again," Luke said stubbornly. "I said to Dr Firra once that I'd save you. Both you and Dad. I'll protect you both. No matter what."

And he turned without waiting for her, heading back to the house leaving her sitting against the wall, suddenly terrified.

She'd never heard anything that sounded more like a prophecy.

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Hoping to get the next chapter up before the end of the month.

If you have enjoyed my writing, do check out Porter's Lodge by LT Brady on Amazon :).


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The vaulted room was probably magnificent. The roof was so high that Anakin was reminded of the Jedi Temple back on Courscant. There was something about the quiet and the coldness that unsettled him in the same way.

The light from the huge moon outside lit up the room and Anakin found himself quietly walking down the hall that formed behind the grand pillars. There were guards over the palace, but they were pathetic and he could feel a stirring anger insider of him that wasn't just because of his shadowy passenger.

His daughter had died in this room. Would have died in this room.

The memory was jolting. Unclear. But the sight of a little girl, younger than Luke had been when Anakin had first found him was something that wouldn't fade. He knew, somehow, that he hadn't moved her. After. He'd killed…he didn't know who. He just knew that there had been many. But afterwards, he'd knelt by her side and hovered a gloved, metal hand over the still form as if somehow he could coax her back to life.

The image of his daughter now with her big brown eyes staring up at him that one night that he'd held her, haunted him. Made him uneasy because how could he sit comfortably and not want to shield her from the entire universe when all he could see as he looked down at her was her dead body?

When he blinked, Anakin realised he was kneeling as he had that night. But not like that night. There was nothing in front of him, he hadn't slaughtered half a squad and his hand was flesh. He was still whole and strong-

 _Strong_ a voice in his mind sneered. _You are weak. It's why everything went wrong._

Anakin stood abruptly and walked, heading for the large arched doors that somehow, unfathomably were open in the summer heat and so poorly guarded that he wanted to sneer.

The balcony was a relief. The landscape outside was like the insider, serenely beautiful but something about it made him chafe. It reminded him of Naboo in some ways; the trees and water and endless greenery, but it wasn't the same.

His daughter would have seen this as her home. Would have looked across this view and it seemed so strange that a planet he barely thought of had raised her for so long. Somehow, he found he had more of an issue with that than with Luke being raised on Tatooine which surprised him.

 _Organa called himself her father_ , the voice added and Anakin could feel his own fury mirrored in Vader's thoughts.

"Anakin Skywalker?" Bail Organa's voice rang out gently, the tone commanding attention, but not loud enough to draw attention. "I…Padme said…"

"Said what?" Anakin asked, not turning around, his hands resting on the cold stone of the balcony's wall.

"That…that you were alive. That you had made contact. But…" the man sounded baffled. "Why are you here?"

Killing him would be justice.

There was a choked gasp behind Anakin and he listened to the noises, to the shocked gasp of breath…

Then let him go, turning to watch as Organa gasped in air and stumbled a little, his hands still at his throat as if that could protect him.

"My daughter was raised here," Anakin said, letting his gaze slide past the man to stare at the room beyond. "Did you know that?"

Organa blinked up at him. He gasped still, hand at his throat but his eyes narrowed in confusion then he turned and looked back at the room. "We adopted her," he whispered, "in that future. We took her in?"

"And it is where she was killed." It was Vader that time and Anakin winced, closing his eyes, trying to work out how that had happened. "You failed to protect her."

"I…" Organa shook his head seeming lost. "Padme never said…"

Perhaps she hadn't known.

"You do one thing that affects my family, that puts them in danger," Anakin said, bringing his attention back to Organa. "I will finish this."

Organa stared up at him and then nodded slowly. "She said…you have the Sith that was in Luke."

"He wants to kill you," Anakin replied woodenly. "You are in contact with Jedi?"

A wary look crossed Organa's face. His breathing was back to normal now, but Anakin could feel his fear. "I…there are ways of contacting them."

"Master Yoda?"

Organa nodded slowly. "The clones had a set of commands built into them. They turned on those they were serving with. Many were gunned down before they knew what happened. But yes, Yoda survived." He shifted and nervousness rolled off of him in sickening waves as he seemed to debate how much to trust Anakin. He looked stunned by the information he'd heard. "I…" he cleared his throat and seemed to draw the mantle of politician around him once more. "I will contact you, if you give me the means to do so."

No.

Again, he and Vader were in agreement. "I'll come back," Anakin said, not entirely sure if he intended for it to sound like the threat it appeared to be.

Somewhere, at the corner of his eye, at the edge of his senses, something flickered.

Organa was rambling something about the empire keeping a close eye on him or something about Anakin being spotted which sounded vaguely insulting. Thankfully, he canned it once Anakin raised his hand in a demand for silence.

 _What is that?_ he asked, but Vader remained silent. It didn't seem as if he were refusing to answer, more that there wasn't a clear one to give.

"You have thirty solar days," Anakin allowed, turning to stride back the way he came. "And I would suggest adding more to your security detail, Organa. You have roughly three years before the attack."

Xxx

In the bright and airy monastery room, Luke found himself struggling to stay still.

"You," Virez said with a long sigh, "are far from focused."

Shifting again, Luke opened his eyes and shrugged and then shook his head. Opposite him, Virez settled into a lotus position and watched Luke with concerned dark eyes.

"I can't…" Luke hung his head and then looked away. "Dad still hasn't made contact."

"It's only been ten rotations," Virez replied, his voice almost soothing. "I imagine he has a lot to adjust to, Luke. You said that it was difficult when you both first reunited with your mother and sister?"

Luke nodded, trying not to think of it. In truth, the entire thing had been like a hazy nightmare and he wasn't really sure which parts he'd dreamt and which parts had been true except that Dad had looked wrecked and he'd wanted to simultaneously run to Vader and run away from him.

Across from them, outside, he could see Kanan working his way through some training moves that Ahsoka had given him earlier. Having them at the house was both a relief and a constant reminder of who was still missing.

And what they'd gone through on Zygarria.

"I…they had slaves on Tatooine," Luke said haltingly, drawing his knees to his chest and giving up the attempts at meditation. "I don't really remember it, but…" he frowned. "I remember my aunt holding onto me tight when we went to Mos Espa once. There were…buildings that we walked by quickly and just going past them was…it felt like pain." He blinked up at Virez. "That was the force, right? I could feel…that's an early sign of it?"

"So I've heard," Virez agreed. He smiled in his reassuring way at Luke. "Do you wish to speak about Zygarria?"

"No." Luke hunched his shoulders over and rested his chin on his knees. "Not yet," he amended when he saw Virez frown a little. "I…just want Dad to come home." And Vader. Maybe.

He didn't know.

"Do you wish to watch Kanan properly?" Virez asked quietly.

Part of him was curious. There had been so many times when he'd been younger that he'd seen Dad fight and spar. They'd played at it when he'd been little. But even there his thoughts remained muddled and confused; part of him wanted his father to train him and part of him never ever wanted to see Vader wield a lightsabre again.

So he shook his head. "I'm gonna go home. See Leia and Mom."

"We can try again tomorrow. Or talk."

Luke nodded and leaned forward to give the man an impulsive hug. Once, he would have flinched from the idea, the Jedi order making him associate anyone who his mind liked to the force and the teachings as being uninterested in such contact. But Virez returned the hug, giving Luke's back a comforting pat.

The walk home was one he could do blindfolded. Had in fact, last year and endured a scolding from Mom about it. Along the edges of the streets, the markets stood and a few people weaved in and out, completing trades and buying goods. They were familiar figures and it was a familiar routine that he treasured.

"-could still be on the ship?" Mom was saying as Luke approached stepped quietly through the door.

"Someone obviously found it," Ahsoka replied. "I can't believe that they'd leave Obi-Wan behind and take us. And as for the troops…" she sounded thoughtful, "perhaps? But we need to see if there are any clues. And our weapons," Ahsoka sounded as if she was frowning. "They must have been sold on or given to someone, but perhaps we could see who found us and sold us on."

"I'd agree," Mom replied and Luke could hear the clink of plates as she laid something out, "but the Jedi order searched for your ships-"

"In the middle of a war," Ahsoka argued and Luke peered around the sandstone wall. Ahsoka was stood, leaning against the far wall as she watched Mom lay out food. "They valued us, but we were spread thin as it was."

"The republic army…" Mom paused and then hung her head, "would have been sent by Palpatine," she allowed looking tightly furious. "I'm not arguing, Ahsoka-"

"You are," Ahsoka replied looking amused.

"-but," Mom continued. "You need to rest. You've had a terrible experience-"

"I…" Ahsoka paused and then her eyes slid to Luke's with unnerving accuracy. "Luke," she said, and she didn't sound annoyed that he'd been eavesdropping, more amused. "Is Kanan still at the temple?"

He nodded, keeping close to the wall and not sure why he did it.

"I'll collect him," Ahsoka said and nodded at Mom. Her gaze lingered on Luke, this time a little more thoughtful and searching than he was comfortable with.

He dropped his gaze as she went by.

"Luke," Mom said gently. "You're home early."

He shrugged, eyes on her hands as she held the bowls and then glanced along the table where she was laying out different dishes for people to pick at, the way she had since they'd returned to Jedha. "Couldn't meditate," Luke said when he realised that she was waiting for him to answer.

"Still?"

Not knowing what else to do, Luke shrugged again and then drew in a long breath when she put down the plates and walked over.

"Luke," she said, cupping his face and making him look up at her. He waited as she brushed his fringe from his face, her brown eyes searching him for something. Shaking her head, she cupped the back of his neck and pulled him close so that he could rest his forehead against her collarbone.

The smell of her was comforting. His mom who could stand between him and all the bad things in the universe and let him hide when needed. Feeling suddenly close to tears and so frustrated with himself because if it because he wasn't a baby and he couldn't stop crying at the moment, he pressed his lips together, hoping somehow he could hold everything back.

Gently, she stroked his hair and he felt something in him shift a bit, like a tiny chunk of the gnawing knots inside of him had loosened a little.

"Ahsoka wants to leave?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Mom asked, pulling back a little to peer down at his face.

"Ahsoka," he said again, scrubbing at his eyes and ducking his shoulders. "She wants to leave?"

"Ah," Mom said and guided him to one of the seats around the table and he felt a moment of wobbling emotion until she sat them so they weren't at the table and were sat opposite each other, their knees almost touching. "I'm afraid the jedi aren't great at settling somewhere," she said with a sad smile. "I think Ahsoka wants to do something after feeling…trapped for so long." Mom plucked up a piece of the bread that she'd baked yesterday and broke the chunk in half, offering a piece to him. "She wants to find Obi-Wan and the clone troopers that were with them on the ship. And Artoo."

"Are you going?" he asked as he chewed at the chunk.

Mom looked surprised. "Me?" she asked as if to check that she'd heard him correctly.

Luke nodded.

"No," Mom said, putting her bit of bread down on the table. "Of course not. I can't," she looked around. "Luke I just spent weeks out of my mind with terror. I'm not letting anything more than a five-minute walk come between us for at least a year."

He smiled at the idea. "But it's important," he said. "To find Obi-Wan and the others."

She watched him. "Luke," she said slowly, "Please don't confuse this. When I go to different worlds, when I speak to leaders and talk of rebellion…it's because I believe in it. But as your mother? It's because, selfishly, I want an army in between you and anyone who comes for you. If we weren't being hunted, darling you and Leia would be growing up in Naboo and the rest of the galaxy could go hang itself."

He stared at her doubtfully.

"For a few years," she allowed with a small smile. "But you two are my world. And maybe, if Leia were older and you were…" she hesitated a little, "Luke you've gone through something that most adults would struggle to cope with. And it's okay to ask for help, darling."

Luke bit at his lip, chewing at it as he thought that over. "Is dad going?"

Mom leaned back a little. "No." She seemed to catch herself and the harsh tone that she was using and so softened deliberately, he thought. "Your father is…according to my sources, travelling the galaxy to have a trip down memory lane." Her tone became harsher as she spoke until she winced. "I didn't mean…" She seemed to give up on pretending. "I'm frustrated too," she admitted. "I understand he…I don't know what's going on in his head and he needs space to work it out. But the situation is frustrating."

"Memory lane?"

Mom studied him for a long time. "In your time," she said, haltingly, "You know that Leia and you should have been twins."

He nodded. They'd talked about it before.

"Darling…Leia was adopted by Bail Organa. Or so that's what your father said to Bail. He went to Alderaan to…it's where she died. And your Gran said that she saw Anakin briefly in Naboo in the royal cemetery."

Oh.

He glanced back at his room where he could feel Leia was asleep. And then back at the woman that he might never have even known. "Vader or Dad?"

Mom winced. "I don't know," she said honestly. "He'll come when he can, Luke. Believe that."

"When does she want to go?" Luke asked, not really wanting to talk about it.

"Soon. Another few days and then she'll be gone. Kanan will go with her."

He couldn't decide if that sounded like a good thing or not. Except it would mean that they wouldn't have so much food laid out on the table. "They're not gonna come back, are they?"

Mom shook her head. "For them to be coming back and forth and potentially…" she caught herself, "your father will be coming back and forth and I'll have to…that's too much traffic here. We'll see them off planet, but not here." She hesitated. "Did…was part of you considering training with them?"

He shook his head. "No. I…no." He scowled, because he couldn't quite put into words why he didn't want to be trained as a jedi.

She nodded and he watched her, trying to spot if she was annoyed or disappointed or relieved, but she genuinely didn't seem to be anything other than accepting and unsurprised.

"Did Dad ever want me trained?"

Mom had been about to stand, he could tell. With his question, she paused and seemed to consider the idea. "I don't think so," she said, settling back into her seat. "He…the first time he connected with you was when you used the force, but I think that was just a way in after how…" she smiled at him, "universe shattering your entry into our lives was."

"Must have been weird."

Now she stood. "A gift," she said, pressing a kiss to his head. "My miracle boy."

He winced a little, wrinkling his nose and she laughed at him.

Xxx

Anakin didn't know why he was there. Staring at the homestead, that stuck out among the sand dunes, he couldn't quite dismiss the memory of carrying his mother's body home.

The grave had been replaced. And added to. In the harsh sandstorms, he imagined that most blocks would be worn to nothing in the six years since he'd last visited.

"Can I help you?" a gruff voice asked.

He had a memory, twisted and flickering, but a memory nonetheless of another life. One in which his son had been raised on this planet, in this place. A little blond haired boy running through the sands, delicate skin exposed to the unforgiving life here.

He looked over at Owen who was now rising from where he studied the 'vaporartors, his hand moving to the blaster he wore at his belt.

Slowly, Anakin lowered his hood.

It took Owen a moment, he could see it. Then the dawning realisation struck and Owen's hand paused, but didn't drop from its path to his blaster. "Anakin?"

"I came to pay my respects," Anakin said, nodding his chin towards the grave. "To tell her of her grandchildren."

To ask for help, a small voice inside him whispered. Because there's no-one else.

Owen's gaze scanned the landscape and he nodded slowly. "Not long though," he warned. "Jedi are…hunted. Even here."

Anakin paused.

Palpatine had known where Luke was raised, he'd mentioned it once.

Palpatine had suggested Dr Firma.

His heart nearly dropped from his chest and the full weight of that decision suddenly hit him.

"How often do they come here?" Anakin asked quietly.

Owen shook his head. "You have time," he said, looking over at the grave. "But you don't have long."

"That's reassuring," Anakin muttered to himself, stepping over as Owen remained where he was. Still, he found himself drawn to the grave.

It was different from…from what Padme's would have been. His wife's grave had been set inside a beautiful crypt, in the royal graveyards and there had been a stained glass window and her body set with a hologram that allowed visitors to see her beauty.

He'd placed their daughter with her.

His mother's grave was simple. It wasn't private and he was painfully aware that Owen was still there and that he had limited time and-

"Mom," he whispered as he knelt down in front of it. His hand dug into the sands and he closed his eyes. "You have grandchildren," he whispered. "Luke and Leia. Skywalker."

And that was important. Vader within him knew that was important. "And Padme is my wife. And…" he shook his head. "I don't know what to do," he whispered. "I failed them. All of them terribly. And the more I tighten my grip…"

The phrase resonated. Somewhere.

There was something in the corner of his eye.

Turning, he stared around and watched as the wind kicked up the sand and, for a second the sand was paler, the grains shifting to reveal another colour-

Then the sand was golden again and Anakin turned back to the grave.

There was still something at the corner of his eye.

xxx

 _Padme was dreaming._

 _She was on Aldaraan. The palace was a familiar sight and she hesitated as she stood on the balcony, not wanting to enter and see what might be beyond the doors._

 _But she could hear whispers. Nothing distinct. But still, the sounds of someone, as if they were trying to get her attention._

 _Padme cast her gaze across the planet's surface and turned, drawing in a nervous breath and vaguely aware that she was dreaming. And she'd tried not to think of it since Bail's message, but she'd known the knowledge would come for her soon._

 _It was hard to picture what Leia was going to look like. So many possibilities. So many maybes. But the image of a dark-haired girl on the floor wasn't hard to conjure up and she closed her hand on the door handles, then flung the doors open._

 _It was a cell._

 _Confused, she turned, only to be faced with a wall. The cell was bleak and bare, all metal and lights that meant no rest and no idea of time passing._

 _There was a sound. But too distant for Padme to work out what it was. And the bench was empty yet she walked towards it-_

Her eyes snapped open to Ahsoka's concerned face.

"Ahsoka," Padme said, sitting up. Behind her, Leia was on the floor, chewing at her hand and looking like she'd been sobbing. Slowly, Padme sat up on the sofa and was stunned to discover she was soaked in sweat and breathing hard.

Ahsoka's large blue eyes were even wider with worry. "You were almost convulsing," she said quietly. "And you felt…" Ahsoka glanced back at Leia.

"I felt?" Padme asked, trying to move to stand and scowling when Ahsoka pushed her back down gently. "She's upset," Padme said, indicating Leia.

Ahsoka looked back and moved quietly, scooping the child up and giving her to Padme. Cuddling the little girl close, Padme brushed her hand over the dark hair and hummed soothingly.

"You're not force sensitive," Ahsoka said, shifting so that she was sat crossed legged on the floor by Padme.

"But?" Padme asked as she shifted Leia a little.

"You…you were reaching out to someone. Or they were reaching to you. You shouldn't be able to have that kind of a connection." Ahsoka wrapped her arms around herself. "Did you see or hear anything?"

"No, I…I was dreaming of Aldaraan…" Padme cuddled Leia even closer. "And then I saw a cell…I was probably just worried about Luke as well. And maybe there was a voice in the distance but it was silent."

Ahsoka shook her head. "I don't know…I keep wanting to go to Master Plo or Master Yoda but…" she looked so young suddenly. "Or Obi-Wan," she said quietly. "He'd know what to do."

Over Leia's hair, Padme stared at the supplies that they'd been packing up for Ahsoka and Kanan when they left tomorrow. "You're going to look for them," she said, rocking Leia ever so slightly. "Master Plo was shot down by his own clones," Padme said, still not looking at her. "I'm sorry."

"And Master Yoda?"

"Bail helped him to escape." Padme closed her eyes. "I never let him tell Yoda where we were."

Ahsoka, when Padme looked, seemed hurt. "You think that the jedi would hurt your children?"

"You were gone a long time," Padme snapped. "Without Anakin…they were looking to the future, for hope. And there was a vision in the force. That Luke and Leia would bring about a new order."

She could see the moment that Ahsoka realised what that might mean. "Luke and Leia won't restore the jedi, will they?"

Padme shook her head slowly. "Whatever balance Anakin is meant to bring…The Jedi order won't be the ones left standing."

"But nor will the Sith," Ahsoka argued. Her eyes fell on Leia and she smiled sadly, reaching out a hand for the child. "That's why Luke is training with the monks," she said after a moment.

"He's training with them because of what happened to his mind," Padme started to argue.

"You could have taken him to Yoda. To any jedi. But you took him to an ancient order and let him learn from them."

Padme blinked at that. "I…" she shifted and then stood, feeling strangely light headed. "Not intentionally," she said awkwardly. "But giving Luke to the jedi…it isn't an option Ahsoka."

Ahsoka sighed and stood with enviable grace. "I still need to find them," she said firmly. "And Obi-Wan." She looked over at the door. "Luke and Kanan are returning," she warned.

Her children, Padme thought with a frown, sometimes had the worst timing.

Xxxx

 _He was in an old bunker._

 _Anakin stood at the edge of a control room and peered through the dusty, dirty viewing port to the world beyond. It was all white, the wind puffing up small gusts of spray that seemed to rust everything around the base._

 _Someone was behind him._

 _He turned, hand reaching for his lightsabre, but there was nothing there. And there was nothing in front of him when he spun._

 _Only two empty chairs._

 _He stared at them, not sure why the sight unnerved him as much as it did. Then raised his gaze._

 _There was a doorway ahead, dark and shadowed and something called him towards it._

 _"Why that door?"_

 _Startled, he turned, but there was still no-one there. "It's the only one I can see," he replied, searching the edges of the room. "Vader?" he asked, doubtful even as he said it._

He opened his eyes.

The ship's ambient noises were a constant comforting lull that made Anakin shift in the pilot's seat and blink down at the steering controls under him. His metal hand shifted over them carefully and then he scrubbed the hand over his face.

Something at the edge of his vision had him turn again.

There was still nothing there.

 _What is it?_ He asked.

Vader, he felt, wasn't being silent to be difficult. It was a genuine gulf of ignorance that meant no-one replied.

A bleeping at the comms unit had Anakin startle out of his thoughts and reach to answer before he gave the action more thought.

"Didn't think you'd answer," Ahsoka's voice came through.

Childishly, he debated ending the connection. "Nor did I," he said. "Are you still with them?"

"No," Ahsoka replied. "We should meet off coms."

His former padawan was a right pain in the wookie's ass. Part of him was so tempted to tell her no. To let her just get on with whatever it was she was doing and yet…yet-

"Where?" he asked, shaking his head even as he said it.

"First meeting," she said and then ended the communication.

Christophsis.


End file.
